Letter to the Editor: Rethink medical marijuana legalization

To the Editor:
This is in response to the letter "Think twice before passing medical marijuana laws" submitted by Helping Services of Northeast Iowa. I am not able to engage in a debate over the many questionable points made therein so I will focus on only a few of them.
The central point is that the existing federal and state laws that prohibit the possession, use, and sale of marijuana must be maintained. This is unfortunate since the historical record since at least the Prohibition Era in the United States shows that this approach to controlling both alcohol and now marijuana have not only failed but have led to the criminalization of both consumers and providers of cannabis, and attracted already existing national and international criminal trafficking organizations to this activity. The consequences for law enforcement have led to a growth in the American prison population such that it is now the highest per capita in the world, with an impact locally such that we are about to build a new county jail with a much expanded capacity over the existing facility.
The author states that the demand for legalizing medical marijuana "comes from marijuana users" and that "medical marijuana laws effectively legalize the drug for anyone." The first claim may have been true in the beginning of the legalization effort, but it is no longer the case. The second claim is simply false. A simple review of the existing regulations for medical cannabis use in the several states where it already exists will demonstrate this, and I would suggest that anyone interested in this issue take a look at developments in Minnesota, coordinated by the state's Department of Health, to see how a state can not only effectively regulate dispensing this substance, but to get an idea about what some of the important research issues are in fully exploring its potentials, effectiveness, and risks, all of which is hampered by existing federal law.
I believe that much of the appeal of medical cannabis is for people with ailments that have not been helped by conventional medical practice and pharmaceuticals, and all clinicians know that these patients exist. Perhaps this is why the author states at the beginning of his letter that several medical interest groups, including the AMA are opposed to medical marijuana. Perhaps they do not see it as something that would be good for them.

David Anderson
Waukon